3 posts from January 2008
- January
- February
- March
- April
- May
- June
- July
- August
- September
- October
- November
- December
Every now and then I hear something old that blows me away (really never happens with the new stuff that much, sadly). I recently heard such a thing, the SIMPLE MINDS second album REAL TO REAL CACAPHONY. I have no idea how I missed something so freaking amazing. I never really "got" the Simple Minds, only really having heard the Breakfast Club song & SPARKLE IN THE RAIN (also amazing- more about that later.). I just decided to run them through, I have to say: the first LP LIFE IN A DAY is just OK, typical british post-punk, not that thrilling, the third EMPIRES AND DANCE is almost as exciting as REAL TO REAL, as are all the EPs from then through NEW GOLD DREAM, which is also great. Man, I'm glad I saved them up until now.
I recently made friends with a legendary record collector/dealer outside of Baltimore, very cool guy with a HUGE extensive personal collection of great old rare psychedelic obscurities. We were talking about bands & music, particularly records made by well-known artists prior to their "breakthrough". I said I had always wondered about the band MILKWOOD, featuring then-future CARS RIK OCASEK , BEN ORR & GREG HAWKES, upon which he searched & found a copy of their only LP on the collecable PARAMOUNT records label from the early 1970s (Home of Karen Dalton & many more from the psych/folk- singer/songwritere genre. I listened to the album (he was gracious enough to lend it to me, along with the MOGAL THRASH album (feat. pre-KING CRIMSON / FAMILY John Wetton), the second BLOSSOM TOES album on a CD & an obscure Memphis TN group called CARGOE on Ardent records, home of the original BIG STAR records). I must admit the Milkwood doesn't do much for me, it's pretty mellow Crosby/Stills/Nash type stuff, minus any real aggression, and the hooks aren't really there, but it's a pleasant enough listen nevertheless. It should be said that the reason this LP escapes detection from most is the correct spelling of the names ( ORZECHOWSKI & OTCASEK) . Anyhow, here's the best track I could pick off the album. Worth a listen, but not worth a hundred bucks.
Were actually Americans, sold as Australian. Like the "I want candy" group. Hold on, I know I'm breaking my own resolution, but I've been COMPLETELY BURIED by vinyl on the ebay thingy-bob deal. Let's just say that MY INVENTORY Should be turning around soon to a billion times better than I've been used to : ie- I picked up a new client w/ the most amazing psych/prog/rock stuff I've ever seen. More to come, I promise, but in the meanwhile here's a snappin' psych/garage wailer from the KOALA
